Back from the Dead
by Rookblonkorules
Summary: After having been "dead" for so long, Dick finds that reconnecting with his brothers isn't as easy as he had hoped.


**A/N So, it took me longer than I had hoped it would to write this... (three days to be specific.)**

 **The idea came while I was reading one of those Grayson books (that seems to be what I'm writing these days: little stories based off panels I've read) and, while the Grayson series could have been better in my opinion, this one had some really heartfelt reunions in them... which gave me the urge to try and write my own version of events.**

 ***sighs* I wasn't sure that I wanted to publish this at first, since I'm not entirely satisfied with it, but oh well.**

 **The end... wound up being completely different from how I had originally planned, but I like it a lot better than my first idea.**

 **Acknowledgements to Purplehood and Merritt, who gave me so much advice and encouragement with this story, even though I probably asked them "What do you think?" so many times that they're tired of it.**

 **Thanks guys! You're the greatest! ;D**

 **Warning: Some...spoilers? For Forever Evil and Grayson: Nemesis, at least. And maybe a few others that happen around the same time? I really have no idea at this point.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own DC or any related characters.**

 **Story: Back From The Dead**

* * *

The city stretches out before him, a seemingly endless sea of buildings and lights. From this height, the view is magnificent, with spires rising up and over him, even in the dark, no… especially in the dark, but he's not here for the view.

He senses the younger boy's presence behind him even before he announces himself.

"Jason," Tim says, stepping forward to stand beside him overlooking the city.

"Replacement," Jason answers by way of greeting. "What're you doing here?"

"I thought you could tell me that," Tim answers, shooting Jason a look. "Someone asked me to be here."

Jason snorts, because the idea of him trying to set up a meeting with the Replacement is ridiculous, although maybe not quite so much as it once was. "And you think it was me?"

"It wasn't," someone announces from behind them and Jason whips around, instinctively reaching for one of his guns.

The figure holds out his hands in placating manner, indicating that he means no harm, as he steps closer to them.

Jason's attention is no longer on Tim, but he senses the other boy stiffening.

"What's wrong with your face?" he hisses, because, while the rest of the man's body is visible, the face is all wrong, the features blended together, making them impossible to discern.

The man freezes, before slowly raising a hand to his face. "Hang on. It's the hypnos implant."

Jason tenses, not just because what the hell is a hypnos implant, but because he knows that voice.

But then the man lowers his hand, raising his face and…

… and Jason feels his jaw drop even as his heart rate speeds up, because, no. No, no, no, it can't be!

It's impossible.

Yet, Jason knows better than anyone else probably ever will just how possible such an event can be.

But that was a mistake… his return to life- it should never have happened. He's come to appreciate his "second chance," if it can truly be called that, but this… seeing Dick die and come back?

...this is all wrong.

Behind him, there's a slight intake of breath from the Replacement, Tim.

"Dick," Jason breathes in the same instant, because it is.

Dick, standing there in his blue and grey sweatshirt, like the idiot of an older brother he had tried to live up to all those years ago.

The idiot of an older brother who never should have died, and who is now standing in front of them, alive, and as if nothing had ever happened.

As if he could show up one day and it would all be normal again.

Dick takes a step forward, looking almost pleading. "Jay… Tim…"

"Dick," Tim whispers slowly, "you never really died… did you?"

Jason snaps his head up, staring at Dick fiercely.

Dick stops in his tracks, shaking his head sadly. "No, I didn''t. I…"

He gets no further.

Almost without thinking, Jason lashes out with his fist, and the next moment, Dick is sprawled on the ground, spitting blood onto the concrete and rubbing his sore jaw, but he makes no move to get up. Instead, he simply stays put as a furious Jason towers over him.

"You lied to us!" he snarls, surprised that he's actually shaking with rage and whatever other suppressed emotions are currently holed up within him. "Lied to us, Dick! You-you…!" He falls short of whatever it is that it had been his intent to say and instead just stands there. "I- we went to your funeral, Dick!" he says, his tone softer, more subdued, watching as Dick slowly climbs to his feet, but the anger is ever present. "Your damn funeral! Do you have any idea what that was like?"

Dick averts his eyes for a split second, glancing away from Jason,as his lips tighten.

"Yes," he answers softly.

Jason is momentarily caught off guard, rocking back on his heels as he realizes just how true that is, but then he shakes his head vehemently, clenching his teeth together. "No! No, this is nothing like that! I was dead… I actually died!" He waves a hand for emphasis, swallowing thickly. "And when I came back… that…" He trails off, unwilling to bring up the insanity, rage and pain of the past.

"Jason," Dick says slowly, "you think I didn't want to tell you, tell all of you, that I was still alive?" His voice catches on the last half of the sentence, but Jason just feels his expression harden.

"Then why didn't you?" Jason whispers harshly, fists clenching.

Dick winces, but it's Tim who speaks up before Dick can answer.

"Did Bruce know?"

There's hardly any emotion in his voice.

Certainly none of Jason's rage, or volatile emotions.

It's just a question, plain and simple.

A question, it would seem, that all three of them already know the answer to.

Dick hesitates, before nodding slowly in assent.

Jason barks out a short, bitter laugh. "So that's it then," he says, trying hard to keep the hurt out of his voice. "The both of you. Your little secret. Your little plan. And the rest of us aren't even worth enough for you to tell us that you were still alive."

Dick actually looks ashamed, extending a hand halfheartedly as if he's reaching out to them. "Jason, Tim, it wasn't like that."

"Then what was it like, Dick?" Tim asks coldly. "Because you weren't dead. You didn't die. You just lied."

"Tim…"

"Bruce lied to us," Tim says quickly, harshly, and Dick is silent. "He lied to us about the Joker. About the possibility of our identities being at risk and we all stayed together then because we knew that, while Bruce might lie, we wouldn't lie to each other."

"I'm sorry." Dick says quietly and Jason fights the urge to scoff because sorry?

But before he can actually voice his disbelief, Dick is speaking again. "I'm sorry," he repeats, looking at them both with an intensity that wasn't there before. "I'm sorry, but I don't regret it. It was a secret that needed to be kept."

"But from us?" Jason snaps, stepping forward. "What was so damn important that you couldn't even tell us you were still alive?"

"It was…" Dick struggles to find the right words, "... it was complicated," he ignores the disbelieving snort from Jason and continues, "but it was something… something that needed to be done. After the Crime Syndicate… I needed to keep you all safe." He sighs, running a hand through his hair and stares at the ground. "I'm sorry," he repeats, "and if I could, I would have told you, both of you. I never wanted to hurt you, either of you. But believe me when I say that there was no other option."

"What does that…" Jason begins, but Dick interrupts him.

"Jason, I'm asking you, both of you," he adds, looking at Tim, "to trust me."  
Neither Jason nor Tim speaks and Dick fishes for something in the pocket of his sweatshirt.

"Look, I… I have something for you."

Jason stiffens, though he's not really sure why, and feels his mouth go dry as Dick pulls out his hand, revealing two Batarangs.

"Those are…" Tim starts, surprised and Dick nods slowly.

"I… went to see Bruce when I came back," Dick says cautiously and Jason feels a sudden tightening of his chest.

He remembers.

Remembers seeing Bruce and finding no recognition in the familiar eyes of the man who had been their father.

Bruce Wayne no longer remembered he was Batman.

No longer remembered them.

And the thing was… Bruce was happy.

Happier even then Jason had ever seen him before.

Jason struggles against the painful implication that that brings and instead focuses on Dick.

Dick tosses the Batarangs to the both of them and it is completely on reflex that Jason catches it, staring at it as if it's some unfamiliar object.

"Bruce doesn't remember… anything, but… Alfred… he gave those to me. It's not like Bruce is going to need them any time soon," Dick says, explaining himself. "Those were his first Batarangs. I think he'd want you guys to have them."

There's a tightness in Jason's throat as he stares down at the object in his hand.

"You deserve them."

Jason swallows past the thickness in his throat, his hand tightening around the object as if it's a lifeline, a link to a past that is now completely unaccessible.

"But I need you to know…"

Reluctantly, he pulls his gaze away from it and returns it to Dick, who stands maybe six feet away. He looks like he wants to come closer, come to them, but he's not sure if they'll let him, if they want him to.

"...you're right to be angry with me, but… I want you to know that this was my burden to carry. I'm the older brother. It was my responsibility."

"To hide that you were still alive? From us?" Jason tries hard to keep the hurt from sounding in his voice, but he's fairly certain some of it bleeds out anyway.

"I did it to keep you safe."

"Safe," Jason repeats, spitting the word out tiredly.

"Jason, my identity was out there. Would it have taken long for them to piece together who you or Tim or Bruce were?" Dick says. His eyes plead for the two of them to understand him, understand his reasoning, and, for all he doesn't want to, Jason finds that he's starting to.

Jason shakes his head. "You're forgetting that I'm a dead man, Dick," he says, but his words are halfhearted at best, lacking conviction.

"Jason.." Dick starts.

"No, just," Jason looks away, holding up a hand to prevent Dick from continuing any further, "you can stop explaining yourself. We know why you did it, just…" He doesn't look at Dick, somehow that will just make everything harder.

"I missed you guys," Dick says softly and Jason jerks his head back. Whatever he expected from Dick, this wasn't it.

Almost without meaning to, he finds that he is exchanging looks with Tim, and sees that there's a steadiness, a determination there.

"Yeah," Tim says, and his voice catches slightly on that one word. "We missed you too, Dick."

And Jason knows that he's speaking for both of them…

... and that he also has no desire to contradict him.

Before he has a chance to respond, he's suddenly caught up in an embrace, he and Tim both, and, startled, he tries to lean out of the hug.

Dick only holds them tighter, he and Tim both, pressing them to him as if he doesn't ever want to let go. "I missed you," he whispers again. "I missed you so much."

"Dick," Jason says, his voice strained, as he pushes against him weakly, "what the hell...?

Tim laughs, more at Jason's discomfort than anything else, and wraps his own arm around him, dragging him back into the hug.

Jason stumbles forward into Dick, his arms latching onto Dick to keep himself balanced. Jason growls and Dick, it would seem, can't keep himself from laughing at Jason's obvious discomfort.

Just digging a deeper hole for yourself, Dickie-boy, Jason thinks, gritting his teeth and trying again to back out of the hug, only for Dick to tighten his grip.

"Jay…" Dick says, softly, "don't go. Just.. please… stay."

And so, reluctantly, he does.

Because, like it or not, they're family.

And right now, they're the only ones holding each other up.

* * *

 **Reactions? Anyone else agree that the reunions were too rushed in the comic? I was hoping for some good Bat brother bonding, dangit! And, let's be real, they needed a hug, XD**


End file.
